Dismantling the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Europe: The confrontation reaches Ireland.

 

The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe

Dismantling the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in Europe: The confrontation reaches Ireland. 

The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe is facing unprecedented political and security pressures, following the expansion of Western efforts to curb its institutional and ideological expansion, from France and Austria to Ireland. This is what observers describe as a "European awakening" to confront the organization's international influence and its transnational networks, through new legislation and procedures to isolate its networks or subject them to oversight.

The confrontation with the Muslim Brotherhood has expanded in a number of European countries, following years of controversy over its hidden influence within Western societies. Paris has tightened its restrictions on the Brotherhood by expanding the scope of administrative dissolution to include endowment funds and establishing a mechanism for the forced transfer of association assets. Similar calls have been made in other European capitals to adopt a more stringent approach to dealing with the group.

For her part, Irish Independent Senator Sharon Keegan warned that her country faces a growing danger of allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to "flourish unchecked," calling on the government to launch a comprehensive investigation into the group's influence within the country and its organizational and financial networks.

Analysts and experts speaking to Sky News Arabia believe that the recent European shift reflects a growing awareness of the dangers of the group's ideological penetration. European capitals have begun to view the Brotherhood as a transnational political movement rather than a religious entity, particularly after it established a financial and political network spanning dozens of institutions across Europe. They believe that the Brotherhood is attempting to exploit Europe's freedom of movement to gain legitimacy, but in reality, it is working to gradually build influence aimed at forming a parallel society within the state.

European options for confrontation

The European Policy Council stated in a recent report that the European Union is considering new options to counter the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, ranging from tightening controls on foreign funding to establishing watchlists for organizations linked to political Islamist movements. Meanwhile, France and Austria are leading a movement within the bloc to impose restrictions on European funding for associations accused of links to political Islam.

In the European Parliament , a number of MPs raised questions about the Muslim Brotherhood's influence on Europe's value system, calling on the European Commission to develop a joint strategy to counter what they described as " ideological penetration " within local communities, particularly in the areas of education and community work.

In her address to the Irish Senate, Senator Sherwin Keegan called on her government to launch a full investigation into the Brotherhood's influence in Ireland, explaining that "throughout Europe, the group is tightly controlled and monitored, but here in Ireland, we face a serious risk that the government has allowed this ideological network to flourish unchecked. Before we can discuss regulating or even restricting this organization and its branches, we must know the truth—and we are currently operating in the dark."

In Germany, which has long been lenient toward the Muslim Brotherhood's activities, recent years have witnessed a clear shift in Berlin's approach to the issue. The domestic intelligence service has classified the group as one of the most dangerous ideological entities that poses a direct threat to the democratic system. This has been followed by the imposition of extensive surveillance on a number of mosques and cultural and educational associations linked to the organization, particularly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin. This move has received broad support from across the political spectrum in the German parliament.

Serious moves

In turn, French Senator Nathalie Goulet told Sky News Arabia that "Europe is currently waging a real battle within its institutions to stop funding directed to non-governmental organizations run by individuals affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood's ideology or working in coordination with it." She argued that "these entities often operate under humanitarian or cultural banners, but they engage in activities with a clear ideological character."

Goulet added, "The classification of the group as an extremist organization by a number of European countries has had a tangible impact on its legal and social status, particularly France and Britain, as these countries were among the first to take practical steps to restrict the group's influence within civil society institutions."

She stressed that there is a clear convergence between Western capitals on this issue, paving the way for the adoption of a more stringent and effective joint European approach to dealing with the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood.

European concerns

In statements to Sky News Arabia, Irina Zuckerman, an American expert specializing in security and strategic affairs, stated that "the ongoing political reviews in France and Austria regarding the Muslim Brotherhood and the calls in Ireland represent important steps in Europe's approach to political Islam and the complex institutional system surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood."

Zuckerman emphasized that "these reviews point to shared concerns regarding ideological infiltration, foreign funding, and the integrity of civil institutions. Although the pace and rhetoric vary from one capital to another, the underlying logic is roughly the same: a shift from counterterrorism as a reaction to strengthening community resilience as a proactive approach."

Regarding the recent stance in Ireland, she noted that "these steps are still in their infancy, but they have important symbolic significance. Ireland has long been considered a comfortable environment for associations and educational institutions linked to the Brotherhood, operating under limited oversight. However, Dublin's recent investigations into the governance of non-profit associations and their sources of funding represent a clear shift away from the previous liberal approach of tolerance. Furthermore, its cooperation with EU partners on financial transparency and religious education standards indicates the beginning of its alignment with continental trends that view ideological infiltration as a threat to national security."

"The Muslim Brotherhood's presence in Europe is viewed as a distributed network of interconnected associations rather than a unified central structure," Zuckerman said. "Over decades, the group has developed points of influence within countries that provide favorable legal environments and access to political elites. However, no single capital holds a monopoly on leadership. Rather, several countries play pivotal roles in an integrated European network of ideological, financial, and educational coordination."

The American expert in strategic affairs emphasized that "the Brotherhood has exploited constitutional protections in Europe to advance its organizational agenda, and that association laws provide additional opportunities. European civil society systems are designed to encourage civic engagement, and governments are currently using rigorous administrative tools, such as licensing reviews and financial audits, to scrutinize the group's activities, which have revealed widespread violations."